New York October 14, 2013—2013 Virgin Money London Marathon champion and 2012–2013 World Marathon Majors leader Tsegaye Kebede, double ING New York City Marathon winner and two-time Virgin Money London champion Martin Lel, and 2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon silver medalist Valeria Straneo will compete in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on November 3, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

The U.S. and international men and women’s professional entrants were previously announced.

Athlete Backgrounds and Notable Performances

• Kebede, 26, of Ethiopia, is the 2008 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and reigning Virgin Money London Marathon champion (2:06:04), as well as the winner of the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a personal-best time of 2:04:38. He is also the 2011 ING New York City Marathon bronze medalist. Kebede is currently in first place on the men’s 2012-2013 WMM series leaderboard. He also won the 2010 Virgin London Marathon (2:05:19).
• Lel, 34, of Kenya, is a five-time marathon champion.  He won the ING New York City Marathon in 2003 (2:10:30) and 2007 (2:09:04). He is also a three-time London Marathon Champion, claiming crowns in 2005 (2:07:26), 2007 (2:07:41), and 2008 (2:05:15), and setting a course record and personal best in the 2008 race, while also becoming the youngest man with five major victories.
• Straneo, 37, of Italy recently earned the silver medal in the marathon at the 2013 IAAF World Championships with a time of 2:25:58. In 2012 at the Rotterdam Marathon, she broke the 12-year-old Italian marathon record with a personal-best time of 2:23:44. Straneo is also a 2012 Olympian in the marathon and the Italian half-marathon record holder (1:07:46).

Mary Wittenberg

“We are honored to add Tsegaye, Martin, and Valeria to our star quality professional athlete field that includes 32 Olympians  and seven national record-holders,” said Wittenberg. “Our hearts will move with their feet as we watch their inspiring stories unfold, and ignite the marathon dreams of the more than 45,000 runners who will follow their lead.” 

Nationally, the ING New York City Marathon will be presented live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes+ from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. For those who have video subscriptions with affiliated providers, the race will also be available via WatchESPN. Locally, New Yorkers can watch the race on ABC7 or 7online.com from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or via WatchABC on mobile devices. Pre-race features from the start at Fort Wadsworth will broadcast live at 7:00 a.m. on ABC7, 7online.com and WatchABC. Additionally, a national highlights show will air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on local ABC affiliates. International viewers can watch the broadcast via a live digital stream from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST on 7online.com.

Check out On the Run at ontherun.nyrr.org for behind-the-scenes access to the ING New York City Marathon. On the Run is a must-see for runners of all ages and abilities. The program airs at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday of race week, 5:00 p.m. Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. Monday, and on demand at ontherun.nyrr.org.

For the latest Marathon news, updates, features, and media information, please visit the NYRR online media room at media.nyrr.org or follow us on Twitter @nyrrnews.

About the ING New York City Marathon

NYRR’s premier event, the ING New York City Marathon is the most loved and most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting elite athletes and recreational runners alike for the challenge and thrill of a lifetime. The race has grown tremendously since it began in 1970 with just 127 runners racing four laps of Central Park. Now, some 48,000 participants from all over the globe flock to New York City every November for an adrenaline-filled road tour of all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Some run for prize money or bragging rights, others for charity or their personal best. All are cheered on by more than two million live spectators and a TV audience of 330 million.

NYRR is proud to be a part of the World Marathon Majors—an alliance with the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, and Bank of America Chicago marathons—to advance the sport, raise awareness and increase interest and involvement in participatory and professional marathon running globally. A signature element is the WMM series, which offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and the top female marathoner in the world.